Prov3:5-6 75 Gal Build/ Equipment list

See mine would be concealed inside my canopy. Also they'd be hanging like 4-6 in over the water. Is that too close?
 
NxtGenCowboy said:
Wow, LED is the way to go for sure now. Pricing is great

Makes me want to sell my 4xT5 and get LED.
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You'll have to get new bulbs roughly every 12 months with T5s and that totals about $100. And with LEDS you'll be using less electricity. I finally got them to cut out some heat and save a few $ in the long run.
 
trackfast said:
You'll have to get new bulbs roughly every 12 months with T5s and that totals about $100. And with LEDS you'll be using less electricity. I finally got them to cut out some heat and save a few $ in the long run.
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Yea, I was reading all the post about saving energy. I just replaced all my bulbs too. Guess I'll need to sell this T5 setup and switch to LED. Or just keep it for a frag tank :becky:
 
I have mine 12" off the water; 6" might be too close. Ask one of the sponsors if they have a choice of optics.
 
6" is too close. The light needs room to properly diffuse over the water to get it's proper spread. In terms of light intensity, that's not such a huge issue with these bulbs, especially if they're dimmable.
 
With only 6" to work with you might be limited on what you can buy. With a LED panel that close to the water you'll need it be have the individual lamps placed farther apart on a wider panel. That makes sense right? You might have to DIY or buy a custom one. Hey Gus, what do you think?
 
Ya I talked to Gus a little today. Seems a DIY might be the only thing my budget will permitt. Didin't want to go that route but hey, let's learn something new.
 
Alright...DIY LED's it is. Looks like I will be trying to sell my TEK light :( Wish me luck. At least the bulbs are practically newish. 3 month of use total....should be a good selling point
 
Whats wrong with the T5s? I have the same fixture and love it... Now for replacing the bulbs.. Your corals should help with that or income tax time ;) This is how I replace mine..
 
trackfast said:
With only 6" to work with you might be limited on what you can buy. With a LED panel that close to the water you'll need it be have the individual lamps placed farther apart on a wider panel. That makes sense right? You might have to DIY or buy a custom one. Hey Gus, what do you think?
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This is very true. With only 6" you will definitely need a panel type fixture. PAR bulbs with 90 degree optics would still need to be about 10" above the water line for a good spread.
 
trackfast said:
With only 6" to work with you might be limited on what you can buy. With a LED panel that close to the water you'll need it be have the individual lamps placed farther apart on a wider panel. That makes sense right? You might have to DIY or buy a custom one. Hey Gus, what do you think?
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It's very difficult to get anything other than panel lighting to spread properly inside your canopy. You mentioned your setup will only cost you $300? Even diy i don't see how you might be that low unless you use epistar and generic drivers. Even at that you will be over $300 with heatsinks and wiring etc. Do you mind sharing a bit of details on the componets you have or your mentor has planned for your system?

I have several suggestions for your budget, you would not purchase thru me,but i can steer you in several directions.
 
Lil BamBam said:
Whats wrong with the T5s? I have the same fixture and love it... Now for replacing the bulbs.. Your corals should help with that or income tax time ;) This is how I replace mine..
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+1. Tek is sweet and can sit low, mine is only a few inches above the tank in my canopy. Wait 9-12 months until the bulbs are end of life. You are already into the fixture and bulbs $$, no point changing unless necessary.
 
Don't get me wrong, i love this TEK light, i was just trying to think long term $ wise. Scares me that $200 needs to be spent to replace bulbs. As far as the components, i really don't know what he plans on using. He showed me his set up and told me it only cost him $300 for the set up. Maybe he knows a guy that has access to equipment that "falls off a truck?" lol i really don't know that, I just don't know how else to explain low cost. I'll contact him and figure out what is going to happen.
 
Low cost on DIY typically means cheaper parts like generic drivers, Chinese LEDs instead of Cree (small price difference each, but it adds up) possibly manual dimming or no dimmer at all... $300 is an incredibly tight budget to do up a 75 right.
 
I agree, im going to get a list of parts before i begin building and ill post em up. If anyone sees bad or cheap parts feel free to let me know
 
Ledgroupbuy.com has the cheapest prices for quality lighting. $ and budget don't work well in this hobby. Sounds like you should save for a while and build/buy something nice. Most imporatantly you like. Btw. How tall are your tanks?
 
true !! m biocube diy led itself would cost me around 300 ...

well i see bridgelux leds are half the price of crees (2 bucks and 4 bucks ) but then again .. bridgelux leds cant be driven at higher current so the number of leds increase ( i might be wrong though )
 
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